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Toguz Kumalak
Toguz Kumalak → Turkish. Toguz Kumalak ("nine pebbles") is the Kazakh name of a mancala game also known as Toguz Korgool ("nine dung balls") in Kyrgyz. The number 'nine' has a high significance in the folk beliefs and mythology of Central Asian peoples. It was considered auspicious. The Kyrgyz once divided the year into 40 weeks (one for every Kyrgyz tribe), each with nine days. The game is played in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, among the Kyrgyz in northeastern Afghanistan, parts of Russia (Altay, Khakassia, Sakha, Tartaria, Tuva), by the Kazakh minority in western Mongolia (Bayan Ölgiy) and in northwestern China (near Urumchi in Dzungaria). Mancala games reached Central Asia by the Silk Road through the spread of Islam. A closely related game called Piç has been described from the village of Oguzkent near Erzurum (Turkey). It shows that a precursor of the game must already have existed when Turkish people migrated from Central Asia to Anatolia in the 12th century. The oldest Toguz Kumalak boards made of stone are dated in the 16th century. Many boards are traditionally carved in wood, but nowadays they are mostly produced of plastic. The first tournament, in which players from all over Kazakhstan participated, was held in Almaty in 1948. It was won by Shorman Otegenov from Zhambyl. The Toguz Kumalak rules were unified in 1949 by Muchtar Avezov, Kalibek Kuanishbayev, Sh. Ibrayev and others. Before many different variants existed. Two of them, Bestemshi and Kozdatu, are still played by children. Since the fall of the Soviet Union the game rapidly gains popularity in Central Asia. In 2004, the Toguz Kumalak Federation of Kazakhstan was founded. In 2008, an international Toguz Kumalak federation was created. There are regular Toguz Kumalak championships held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Russia (Altay). The first tournament outside Central Asia was organized in August 2006 at the Mindsports Olympiad (MSO) in London, England. It was won by Aidos Seitzhanov from Kazakhstan. In 2007, tournaments were held in Istanbul (Turkey), Prague (Czech Republic), Ohrid (Macedonia) and London (England). A Toguz Kumalak seminar was given in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. The game was also used by the computer scientist K. Scott at the University of Alaska (Anchorage) to teach his students the JavaScript programming language. In Central Asia, the game is promoted as a national sport. Although it was originally played only by men, today many women are masters. There are also blind players such as M. Kurmanbetov. The current president of the National Toguz Kumalak Federation of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Mukhamedjevich Baimenov, was a professor of the Mining-Mechanical faculty in the Zhezkazgan branch of the Karaganda Polytechnic Institute of Motor Transport (1981-1992) and a candidate for President of Republic Kazakhstan from the Democratic party «Ak Zhol». It is estimated that there are about 10,000 organized players and about 200 official trainers in Kazakhstan alone. Rules Toguz Kumalak is played on a board, which consists of two rows of nine holes. Between these rows are two parallel furrows called kazan ("boilers") in the middle of the board to store the captures. The players own the kazan in the other half of the board. The holes are usually made in such a way that it is evident whether the contents are odd or even. At the beginning there are nine balls in each hole, except the kazans, which are still empty. Players need a total of 162 balls. Initial Position On his turn, a player takes all the balls of one of his holes, which is not a tuzdik (see below) and distribute them anticlockwise, one by one, into the following holes. The first ball must be dropped into the hole, which was just emptied. However, if the move began from a hole, which contained only one ball, this ball is put into the next hole. If the last ball falls into a hole on the opponent's side, and this hole then contains an even number of balls, these balls are captured and stored in the player's kazan. If the last ball falls into a hole of the opponent, which then has three balls, the hole is marked as a tuzdik ("sacred place" in Kazakh; or tuz in Kyrgyz, which means "salt"). There are a few restrictions: * A player may only create one tuzdik in each game. * The last hole of the opponent (his ninth or rightmost hole) cannot be turned into a tuzdik. * A tuzdik cannot be made if it is symmetrical to the opponent's one (for instance, if the opponent's third hole is a tuzdik, you cannot turn your third hole into one). It is permitted to make such a move, but it wouldn't create a tuzdik. The balls that fall into a tuzdik are captured by its owner. He may transfer its contents at any time to his kazan. The game ends when a player can't move at his turn because all the holes on his side, which are not tuzdik, are empty. When the game is over, the remaining balls, which are not yet in a kazan or in a tuzdik are won by the player on whose side they are. The winner is the player who, at the end of the game, has captured more balls in their tuzdik and their kazan. When both players have 81 balls, the game is a draw. Sample Game The following game was played in 2006 between Nurlan Eleusiz (Kizilorda) and Serik Aktayev (Pavlodar) in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Eleusiz was the winner of the Grand Prix of Kazakhstan in 2002 and Aktayev the Kazakh Champion of 2004. The game ended after just 17 half-moves, thus making it the shortest game on master level ever recorded in history. N. Eleusiz (Kizilorda) - S. Aktayev (Pavlodar), Aktau (Kazakhstan), 2006: 1. 65 (10), 87 2. 55, 99 (12) 3. 34 (22), 35 (16) 4. 34!, 89 5. 91!!, 45 6. 48 (24), 92 7. 62 (38), 78?? (32) Better would be 7. ..., 91! (30) and after 8. 91 (54), 78 (46). 8. 91 (54), 58 (forced) Aktayev can't play 67 (50), because Eleusiz would counter with 9. 27X (57). 9. 15 (56) Eleusiz has a strong material and positional advantage. Aktayev resigns. Endgame Problem From a game played in Kazakhstan. South is 7 points ahead, but must still win the game. South to move. Notation: The holes are numbered on each side from left to right (1 to 9). The first number of a move denotes the emptied hole, the second number the last hole into which a ball is dropped. Thus 27 means that the move started in the second hole and ended in the seventh one. A minus (-) means that a player is loosing a point by dropping a ball into a tuzdik. If the number of points changes, the actual number is given in brackets. Variants Kazakh children play simplified versions of the game with shorter rows and less counters: *Kozdatu (Қоздату) has seven holes per row, each one containing seven pieces at the beginning. *Bestemshi (Бестемщі) has five holes per row, each one containing five pieces (бес means five) initially. The game is played without tuzdik. Before 1949, there existed numerous versions of Toguz Kumalak that had other rules than the modern game: *Some players only captured when the last ball fell into a hole containing a singleton. *Others insisted that no ball must be left in the emptied hole. Technical Terms Many specific words and expressions are used to describe the game. External Links General Web Sites * Official Web site of the Kazakh Toguz Kumalak Federation (in Kazakh) * Kazakh blog * Russian blog * Turkish blog Players *Web site of Alikhan M. Baimenov, President of the Kazakh Toguz Kumalak Federation. *Photo of International Grandmaster Serik Aktayev (left) and the current world champion Maksat Shotayev (right) Tournaments * Photo of a tournament in Kazakhstan *Another tournament photo * Video of a Toguz Kumalak and Oware tournament in Prague, 2008 Boards * A traditional Toguz Kumalak board in Almaty, Kazakhstan. References ;Aidarkulov, K.: Manas eposundagy eldy Oiundar: Ordo Zhana Toguz Korgool Oiundarynyn Tarykhyi Kelip Chyguu Maselisine Karata Ilimii-Populiarduu Makalalar. Bishkek (Soviet Union) 1977. ;Aknasarov, C., Chumabayev, H. & Shotayev, M. E.: Tangazhaiyip Toghiz qumalaq. Turkistan (Kazakhstan) 2004. ;Akshorayev, A.: Toguz Kumalak: Kodeks i Klassifizirovanje Igri". Mektiep, Alma-Ata (Soviet Union) 1979. ;Akshorayev, A.: ''Molodosti Drewnej Igri Toguz Kumalak. Taraz (Kazakhstan) 2000. ;Akshorayev, A. & Chunisbayev, N.: Toghiz Kumalak. Zhalin, Alma-Ata (Soviet Union) 1983. ;Almashi, A.: Puteshestviye i septdze Azii. 1903. ;Amanzholov, S.: Toguz Kumalak. 1936. ;And, M.: Some Notes on Aspects and Functions of Turkish Folk Games. In: The Journal of American Folklore 1979; 21: (1): 44-64. ;And, M.: Cocuk Oyunlarinin Kültürümüzde Yeri Ve Önemi. In: Ulusal Kültür: Üc Ayhk Kültür Dergisi 1979 (4). ;Árpád, B.: Togiz Kumalak. In: Friss Újság (Satu Mare, Romania) November 5, 2004: 5. ;Çetin, İ.: Çüç. In: Sivas Kültür-Sanat. (Sivas, Turkey) 1989; 4: 30-32 . ;Çetin, İ.: Kazakistan’da Nevruz. In: Çetin, İ. (Ed.). Türk Dünyası Nevruz Ansiklopedisi. Atatürk Kültür Merkezi Başlanliği, Ankara (Turkey) 2004, 285-296. ;Dauletov, A. & Eleuov, F.: Toghiz kumalak: Oyni khakkinda bakhali. In: Uztaz Zholy December 3, 2005 (Nr. 49). ;Deledicq, A. & Popova, A. : Wari et Solo: Le Jeu de Calcul Africain. Cedic, Paris (France) 1977. ;Kartanbayev.: [http://www.toktom.kg/?comp=content&m_t=3&m_r=5&id_folder=6 Toguz Korgool Version 3.5.]. Information Center "Toktom", Bishkek (Kyrgyztan) 2002. ;Kazinform. : New Togyz-kumalak. In: Kazakhstanskaya Pravda 02/09/2002. ;Kaz OGIZ (Ed.). : Toguz kumalak. Alma-Ata (Soviet Union) 1943. ;Cerrato, L.: Toguz Kumalak. In: Il Fogliaccio degli Astratti 2007; 43 (July): 8. ;Machatscheck, H. : Zug um Zug: Die Zauberwelt der Brettspiele. Verlag Neues Leben, Berlin (Germany / GDR) 1972, 146-147. ;Machatscheck, H. : Stein um Stein: Exotik der Brettspiele. Verlag Neues Leben, Berlin (Germany / GDR) 1984, 69 & 76-84. ;Omurzakov, D. & Musin, Y. : Kirgizkiye Narodnye Igry. Frunze (Soviet Union) 1973, 43-47. ;Orozobakov, T. & Chylymov, A. : Toguz korgool. Bishkek (Kyrgyztan), 1997. ; Pantusov, N. : Kirizkaja Igra Toguz Kumajak. In: Izvestija Obscestva Arxeoligii, Istorii, i Etnografii pri Kazanskom Universilele (Kazan, Russia) 1906: 22. ;Russ, L. : The Complete Mancala Games Book: How to Play the World's Oldest Board Games. Marlowe & Company, New York (USA) 2000, 21-22. ;Scott, K. : [http://www.math.uaa.alaska.edu/~afkas/cs303/Section4Togiz/AssignmentsAndBackground/togizkumalak.doc Togiz Kumalak.] University of Alaska / Computer Science, Anchorage (USA) 2005. 21-22. ;Sharipov, C. A. & Seitshanov, A. M.: Laws of Toguz Kumalak Game. Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Commitee of Sports Affairs, Astana (Kazakhstan) 2006. ;Sharipov, C. & Shotayev, M. E.: Toguz Kumalak: Igra Intellektualov. Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) 2006. ;Shotayev, M. E.: Rules of Intellectual Game: Toguz Kumalak. Turkistan (Kazakhstan) 2005. ;Sinayuç, O.: Oğuzkent'te Zihinsel bir oyun: Piç. In: Türk Folklar Araştırmaları '' 1974; 29 (6). ;Totenayev, B. : ''Kazaktun Ulttik Oyundari / Kazakhskie natsional'nye igry. Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) 1994. ;Zelinskaya, I.: Domino, Nardi, Kosti. Moscow (Russia) 2001. Solution to the Endgame Problem If 1. 68,-1 89 (72); 2. 67,-1 89 (73) 3. 92 (mistake) 13; 4. 91 (80). South loses. Therefore: 3. 81!! 13 (forced); 4. 93 (80) 23; 5. 89 23; 6. 91 13; 7. 91 (82). South wins. Images Image:Toguz kumalak.jpg|Toguz Kumalak board, Kazakhstan Image:Astana 2005.jpg|Toguz Kumalak Tournament in Astana (Kazakhstan), July 5, 2005 Image:ToguzKumalakTournament.jpg|Toguz Kumalak Students Tournament (Kazakhstan) Image:Kurmambetov2.jpg|M. Kurmanbetov (left) against V. Babenko (right), July 7, 2005 Image:Festival Middle Asia and Kazakhstan.jpg|Participants of the Toguz Kumalak Festival 2005 in Kazakhstan Image:Int_tournament_middle_asia_kazakhstan.jpg‎ |International Tournament of Central Asia, Kazakhstan Image:IX_International_Tournaments_july_10,_2005._Astana._Winners_and_prizes.jpg|Winners and prizes Copyright © Wikimanqala. By: Ralf Gering Under the CC by-sa 2.5 license. Category:Traditional_Mancala_Games Category:Asia